In late May next year (2017) I will be leading a brand new workshop with Daniel Bergmann that is dedicated to photography of the Atlantic Puffin and other birds of Iceland including Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Guillemots (Murres), Arctic Terns and Razorbills. Iceland is one of the best places in the world to photograph Puffins and other Arctic birds in their natural environment. We will visit a number of different locations during this workshop where we will have outstanding access to the Puffins living in burrows on the edge of sea cliffs. We have timed our 2017 workshop to ensure we are in the best locations at the best times to photograph these wonderful birds. We will have hours of golden light under the spectacular midnight sun – ideal conditions for photography of the Atlantic Puffin.This photography workshop will last for 11 days (11 nights). We will be staying in good hotels and guest houses that are functional and clean. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included and will generally be held at the hotels where we are staying. However, this workshop is all about photography and we will be putting in long hours in the field in order to ensure we get the best possible light for photography. We may take food and drink with us into the field to ensure we are in the right locations get the best possible light. Itinerary: We start in the morning of May 27th in Reykjavik City and drive out to the Snaefellsnes peninsula. We’ll photograph birds and landscapes out at the edge of Snaefellsnes at Hellnar and Arnarstapi and will visit the iconic Mt. Kirkjufell. We’ll then overnight in the town of Stykkisholmur.

In the morning of May 29th we’ll get back on the ferry and finish the crossing. From the ferry port at the northern side of Breidafjordur bay we have couple of hours journey to Breidavik, where we’ll be based for the next three nights. From there it’s a 12km drive out to the magnificent seabird cliff Latrabjarg. This westernmost point of Europe is the home of millions of seabirds. It rises 440m out of the sea and is 14km long. The best locations for photography are within walking distance from the car park and we’ll have Fulmars and Kittiwakes soaring through the air, Guillemots (Murres) and Razorbills sitting on the cliff but it’s for the Puffins that we have come to Latrabjarg. Nowhere else are Puffins as tame. They can be photographed at close range, even with a wide-angle lens, and the cliff faces in a perfect direction for the setting sun. The Puffins can therefore be photographed in beautiful golden light or against the setting sun, creating wonderful silhouettes. As we are fast approaching the longest day of the year we have many hours of low light in the evening and early morning.Closer to our accommodation in Breidavik we can venture out and photograph the birds in the area, such as Common Eider, Ringed Plover and possibly Ptarmigan. Arctic Foxes are frequently also seen in this part of the country and with luck we might find some arctic foxes to photograph during our time in this area.

On June 5th we’ll depart Grimsey for the main land and drive back west along the scenic northern coast. We’ll overnight in Skagafjordur in the north, where we’ll have good opportunities for coastal landscapes and more of Iceland’s common birds, such as Whooper Swans. The Skagafjordur area is also known for its horse breeding and there are Icelandic horses almost everywhere.